NEWS

Glass facades harm environment

MUMBAI: Environmentalists say that till the time upcoming
buildings extensively use glass, they cannot be "green". "Glass
throws back heat into the atmosphere causing warming. Structures with glass
facades use air-conditioning round the clock, using up energy," said Debi
Goenka from Conservation Action Trust.

Last year, a report by the National Environmental Engineering Institute
(NEERI) said that the temperature around a glass-facade building can go up by
17 degrees celsius. "This is a concept borrowed from the West, where it
works as those countries are cold. India is a warm country. Here, glass traps
heat and throws it back to the immediate environment," said Rakesh Kumar,
chief scientist and head of NEERI, Mumbai.

In Mumbai, most glass-facade buildings are to be found in Bandra-Kurla Complex,
Worli, Goregaon and Lower Parel. The buildings primarily house offices or are
high-end residences. Goenka said the increasing demand for such buildings does
not augur well for the environment.